Oncologic Surgery

Since the inception of its Tumor Registry in 1976, the cancer treatment
program at New York Hospital Queens has grown to become one of the
largest programs in the metropolitan New York area. Careful preservation
of patient records has created an unusually rich source of cases for
retrospective study, and since 1990, new patients have been added to the
database as they came into the program, creating a prospective database
as well. The registry maintains a greater than 90% follow up rate for
all cases, assuring a high quality of clinical study. Due to our
demographics we have one of the most culturally diverse patient
populations and we have developed a special expertise in geriatric care.

The Surgical Oncology Division has thrived in an environment where
related services such as medical oncology, radiation oncology, and
radiological imaging are also excellent. All patients treated by the
oncologic surgery Division benefit from the ongoing outcome studies
which are continuously carried out by these cooperating departments.
Examples of these are studies devoted to: colon cancer; prostate cancer
treatment with brachytherapy; endometrial cancer; GI lymphomas; and.
comparison of surgery vs. radiation and chemotherapy for pancreatic
cancer

Tumor Registry information has been used to develop protocols for the
systematic prospective study of treatment modalities for the breast,
colon and rectum, lung, prostate, and others. Computerized data
management is maintained by a large staff of tumor registrars, one
clinical coordinator, and one data manager.

Our large patient population and its varied demographic have provided us
a very large experience in the treatment of a variety of cancers,
including

Brain cancers

Breast cancer

Colon and rectal cancer

Lung cancer

Melanoma

Oropharyngeal cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Prostate cancer

Renal and bladder cancers

Sarcomas

Skin cancers ( non-melanoma)

Stomach cancer
In addition we are qualified to care for other less commonly
occurred tumors.

Breast

The high rate of breast cancer in New York and New Jersey is reflected
in the volume of these patients seen at New York Hospital Queens. Due to
the demographics of the immediate area served by our institution, we
also treat one of the largest groups of women over 70 years of age.

Our approach to breast cancer is multidisciplinary, and the Breast
Service provides comprehensive care utilizing the Divisions of Surgical
Oncology and Medical Oncology and the departments of Radiology and
Radiation Oncology. A full range of biopsy techniques are used,
including sonographically guided and stereotactic biopsies.

NYHQ has one of the highest rates for the use of breast-conserving
surgery. For those patients choosing or requiring mastectomy we actively
involve the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in order to
make available all forms of restorative surgery to our patients. The
Medical Oncology division provides active support through the
development and administration of adjuvant and therapeutic chemotherapy
regimens.

Prostate, Bladder, Kidney, Testis

Robotic surgery is the most recent technological advance in urologic
surgery. The robotic system is used to perform surgery through a
number of small, less than 1 cm, incisions, rather than the traditional
open surgery through a much larger incision. Robotic surgery
represents the state-of-the-art treatment for urologic cancer.
If you or someone you know is diagnosed with cancer of the prostate,
bladder or kidney, ask your urologist or internist for a referral to
meet with a robotic surgeon who specializes in urology. Learn
more information about the Robotic Surgery Program at New York Hospital
Queens.

Lung

The Thoracic Surgery section employs both open and thoracoscopic
techniques for the resection of primary and metastatic lung tumors
amenable to surgical ablation.

Surgical patients are admitted to units where specially trained staff
provide comprehensive medical and nursing care. Those in need of
particularly complex surgical procedures are supported in a
state-of-the-art Surgical Intensive Care Unit which is manned by
critical care specialists and the residency staff.

Esophagus, Stomach and Pancreas

Surgical resection and treatment for tumors of the upper
gastrointestinal tract is challenging and complex. At New York Hospital
Queens, our surgeons have the expertise to treat these
cancers. As a result, our surgical outcomes rank us among the finest
academic centers the world. This is due to the skills of our
surgeons, anesthesiologists, support staff and critical care colleagues.

Colon and Rectum

All standard colon and rectal cancer procedures are performed in high
numbers at NYHQ. There is also broad experience in the use of
sphincter-sparing procedures so that colostomy can be avoided where
appropriate. Laparoscopic colonic resections are performed as well and
our percentage of laparoscopic resections are up.